Nova — The Complete Guide

Everything you need to know about Nova, a free online multiplayer card game for 3–6 players. Full rules, strategy, a glossary, and answers to common questions — no download, no sign-up, just open the game and play.

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What is Nova?

Nova is a quick, simple trick-taking card game you play in your web browser with 3 to 6 players. Each round the entire deck is dealt out, and the goal is to be the first to get rid of every card in your hand. It works on desktop and mobile, and it is completely free — no account, no download, no sign-up. You can play with friends by sharing a room code, or jump straight into a public game where bots fill any empty seats.

A match is short and flexible: you choose how many rounds it takes to win before you start, so you can play a quick match or a slightly longer one — a fast first-to-4 game or a fuller first-to-10 session, whatever suits the moment.

Quick facts

Players	3 to 6 (bots fill empty seats)
Deck	41 cards — 40 numbered cards (1–10 in four suits) + 1 Nova card
Goal	Be the first to empty your hand each round
Match length	First to 4, 6, 8, or 10 round wins (chosen before play) — a quick match or a slightly longer one
Game type	Trick-taking / shedding card game
Platform	Any modern desktop or mobile web browser
Cost	Free — no account, no download, no sign-up
Languages	English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
Modes	Quick public play, or private room with a share code

The deck & the Nova card

Nova uses a 41-card deck:

• 40 regular cards — four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades), each numbered 1 through 10. Higher numbers are stronger; 10 is the highest regular rank and 1 is the lowest.
• 1 Nova card ✦ — a single special card with no suit or rank that beats any card or group of cards, no matter how many are on the table. It is the most powerful card in the game.

Goal of the game

Be the first player to empty your hand to win a round. Win enough rounds — the number is agreed before the match starts — to win the whole match.

Setup & dealing

• All 41 cards are dealt every round among the players. Hands can be slightly uneven, and that's fine — there is no draw pile.
• The player who starts the deal rotates each round, which keeps things fair over the course of a match.
• Round 1: the Nova card is left out. Round 2 and later: the Nova card is shuffled in.

How a turn works

Play moves around the table. On your turn you can either play cards or pass.

1. Lead a trick: the starting player plays one or more cards that all share the same rank — a single, a pair, three of a kind, and so on.
2. Beat the table: to play over the current cards, you must play the same number of cards with a higher rank. A pair can only be beaten by a higher pair; a single by a higher single. You cannot change the count.
3. The Nova card ✦ ignores this — it beats anything on the table by itself.
4. Cards are discarded once played and never come back.
5. When everyone else passes, the last player to have played starts a fresh trick with any legal play.

Passing

You may pass at any time — either because you can't beat the table, or as a deliberate choice to hold your strong cards. There is no penalty and you never draw a card for passing. Deciding when to pass and when to spend a strong card is the heart of Nova's tactics.

The card exchange

From round 2 onwards, after the deal but before play begins, the previous round's winner and loser trade cards. Each player sees their full hand first.

• The loser must give their best card(s) — this is forced, with no choice (the Nova card is never included).
• The winner freely chooses which card(s) to give back — usually their weakest.
• The winner does not see what they'll receive before choosing what to give.

How many cards move depends on the player count:

3 players	Winner ↔ loser swap 1 card each.
4–6 players	1st ↔ last swap 2 cards each; 2nd ↔ second-to-last swap 1 card each.

Winning rounds & the match

• Round: the first player to empty their hand wins the round.
• Match: before the game starts, players pick a target of 4, 6, 8, or 10 round wins. The first to reach it wins the match.
• Length: because you set the target up front, you control how long you play — a low target makes for a quick match, a higher one for a slightly longer game. It's free to play as many matches as you like.

Rooms, friends & bots

• Quick play: jump into a public game and get matched with others.
• Private room: create a room and share the code so friends can join.
• Bots: any empty seat is filled by a bot, so a game can start immediately and keep going if someone leaves.

Strategy tips

• Save the Nova card for a decisive moment — it wins any trick, so use it to seize the lead late in the round or to break a trick where opponents are close to going out.
• Passing is a weapon, not a weakness. Letting a trick go can save your strong cards and force opponents to spend theirs.
• Track the counts. Because pairs only lose to higher pairs, holding a high pair or triple lets you control the table and lead fresh tricks.
• Watch who's short. When an opponent is close to emptying their hand, deny them easy tricks rather than dumping your own weak cards.
• Mind the exchange. Winning a round is great, but you'll have to give a card back — and losing badly means surrendering your best card, so climbing out of last place matters even in a round you can't win.

Glossary

Trick — the current set of cards on the table that others must beat or pass on.

Lead — the first play that starts a new trick; it sets the count (single, pair, etc.).

Rank — a card's number, 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

Nova card ✦ — the single special card that beats everything; in play from round 2.

Pass — declining to play; no penalty, no card drawn.

Exchange — the forced/chosen card trade between the round's winner and loser from round 2 on.

FAQ